The present invention relates to a method for inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of certain dihaloformaldoxime carbamates as antimicrobial agents.
Antimicrobial agents are used commercially to prevent microbial growth in water cooling towers, metalworking fluid systems, paints, and other loci. Currently available antimicrobial agents include mixtures of 5-chloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolone and 2-methyl-3-isothiazolones. While these isothiazolones are very effective in preventing microbial growth, they suffer from being slow killing and unstable under certain conditions. Nitrate salts are effective stabilizers for 3-isothiazolones, but the level of salt usually required can cause problems, such as coagulation of latices and salt build up in closed systems. There is therefore a continued need for antimicrobial agents which are stable, do not have a high salt content, have low use levels, provide quick speed of kill, degrade quickly upon use, and are safe to use in the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,264 (Addor) discloses certain dihaloformaldoxime carbamates, methods for their preparation, and their use as postemergence herbicides. This patent also teaches the use of such dihaloformaldoxime carbamates as intermediates in the preparation of insecticides. This patent neither teaches nor suggests the use of such compounds as antimicrobial agents.